Can I Claim Anything Back?

JAYWIN

Hello.

Just to preface, I accept my responsibility and fault in this situation and have both yelled at myself and been yelled at by others, so please don't bring any negativity in here, I'm just looking for some help or advice

I've lost two passports in 10 years, the last one I've since found when moving house. While at uni I damaged a passport with blue ink (design student), however it went down as a loss, not damaged. It's my word against theirs that it's an admin error but there's not much I can do about that, however it means I have three strikes against my name.

I was issued a 12 month restricted passport after attending an interview which was fine. I booked a holiday last November, to travel September just gone. I realised at the last minute about passport validity, and booked myself on a 1 day online premium beta service on the Tuesday circa midday.

I entered all my details, passport number, answered the screening questions etc and received the confirmation. The money had also left my account.

On the Wednesday I received a confirmation email of my express appointment in Peterborough (I'm in London) and thought nothing of it. Come Thursday I got a call from an unknown number saying because I was on a restricted passport they wouldn't/couldn't process it in 1 day. To keep it short, I spent hours back and forth trying to figure it out. They told me to send my passport to them but I explained that as I was in work, it'd never work out with the postal times for me to fly the following Tuesday. I asked if I left work and got a train to Durham (where apparently my passport had to go), could I be seen. The man told me he wasn't sure, and to hang fire on train tix (as they were in excess of £100) and he'd call me early doors Friday morning.

He never did, so I called the general customer service line as I worried it was a hoax / fraudulent call (lots of reasons; casual, unprofessional staff, young sounding manager who said he was the manager of the new online premium service, asking me to send passports elsewhere etc). I spoke to an agent who advised it sounded like a scam call and to continue with my Peterborough appointment. I asked her if she could call them to confirm as I was running out of time, and she confirmed she had already spoken with them.

When I arrived at Peterborough I had both passports taken off me (restricted passport and the lost passport I'd recently found) and was told that I was never getting my passport that day and that they were just the messenger, but probably best I cancel my trip.

My passports were sent to Durham, even though the adviser on the phone told me any office could renew restricted passports. I must have called all offices every 30 mins to be told that until my passport arrived in Durham they couldn't do anything for me.

My complaint here is that I passed the online screening, my money was taken AND I received an appointment confirmation 24 hours after I made my appointment, yet nothing advised or even suggested that I couldn't use the 1 day premium service. (I'm aware lost passports can't use this service but that is explicitly stated online).

I wasn't contacted until the Thursday lunch time (so 2 days after I booked) when I was due to fly the following Tuesday morning. I said I'd leave work and travel up the country with my paperwork in hand and was told to wait, then never received the call I was promised.

I was misadvised to go to peterborough where my new passport would be waiting for me.

And the most infuriating part of it all is that absolutely nowhere (and I checked) does it mention the renewal of restricted passports and any restrictions there may be. I think there's guidance from 2011 (don't quote me on the year) which mentions restricted passports but nothing on the renewal of them. My argument is that my appointment should never have been accepted or confirmed the next day, and I should have been contacted sooner.

I work in compliance so I understand regulations and policy, but there was literally no way of knowing that I wasn't eligible for the premium service. I said this to the manager in customer resolutions who admitted that yes, there is nothing online about renewing restricted passports but it's part of their policy that they have to follow and she'll pass my feedback on. I was basically held accountable to regulations that are not public knowledge and have all the names and times of the phone calls where several advisers admitted the same thing.

I know, I know it's my own fault for leaving it so late etc etc, I don't dispute that, but nobody thinks to renew a passport after 6 months (as I required 6 months validity) and I'd just moved house and job (hence finding my old passport) so I was preoccupied.

In the end I had to pay an extra £400 for the flights and £40 worth of 08 number phone calls that I really think I should get back as I literally did everything by the book and within my power (their recorded calls would also verify advisers agreeing with me).

If there was a shred of information about restricted passport renewals online I wouldn't even be wasting my time asking in here, but there wasn't so I went ahead with a 1 day service when I would have just done the 1 week had I known (I realised on the Monday and 1 week would have taken me to the day before I flew; whereas the 1 day appointment was on the Saturday before we flew).


I did put in a complaint at the time and they declined it, but I wondered if there's an independent body I could go to? I understand the passport office states they aren't liable and don't book travel etc... but surely in this case I've been punished for missing the goal, when the goalposts weren't even out?


Would really appreciate any feed back or advice?

Thanks

elsien

How far through their complaints process did you get?
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office/about/complaints-procedure

Other than following all three stages through, I don't think there's an independent body you can go to for this.

bigadaj

OP whilst you've admitted you've made mistakes, these have been multi layered and backed yourself into a corner such that their Eros have had more impact and been less easy to resolve.

The only thing I can think of is contacting your MP, they may have some weight with a government body, however what are you looking for, the bets I can see is getting your fees refunded, can't see them stumping up for consequential losses.

JAYWIN

Elsien, looking at that link I think I've only done stage 1. The response I received in the post was very abrupt and final, basically stating that they're not obliged to refund any losses, however they did refund the difference between a 1 day renewal and regular renewal. For that reason, I didn't pursue and came to MSE.

This part looks promising, 'We only normally offer compensation for financial loss as a result of delays in our guaranteed (Fast Track and Premium) services.'

I think I will take this further and see what happens. I'm so gutted because I spent ages clearing off my credit card and had finally done so, only to have to put £400 back on it

Gloomendoom

bigadaj wrote: »

OP whilst you've admitted you've made mistakes, these have been multi layered and backed yourself into a corner such that their Eros have had more impact and been less easy to resolve.

Eros?